In bygone times, the number of Jews who used to sell their chametz on Pesach was relatively small. The enactment of selling one’s chametz does not appear in the… Read more »

  The Gemara (Berachos 43a) teaches that one who sees blossoming fruit trees during Nissan recites a special berachah: “Blessed are You… Who did not omit anything from His universe and… Read more »

  One of the main features of the rapidly approaching Pesach festival is, as we are all aware, cleaning. Of course, not every element of our cleaning rituals is mandated… Read more »

  Parashas Ki Tisa, includes the instruction not to eat meat and dairy products together. Chazal derive, from the threefold mention of the verse “You shall not cook a kid… Read more »

  A question that is often of great practical relevance on Purim is the obligation of women in reading the Megillah. While women are obligated in hearing the Megillah, the… Read more »

  Parashas Terumah describes the stages in the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the construction that served the Children of Israel during their journeys in the wilderness. The commandment to… Read more »

  Continuing from the Aseres HaDibros of Parashas Yisro, the detailed laws of Parashas Mishpatim focus, among other things, on Torah civil law. In the present article we will focus… Read more »

Parashas Yisro brings the Children of Israel to Sinai to receive the Aseres HaDibros, the Ten Commandments that are the cornerstone of the Torah. The Gemara in Berachos (12a) notes… Read more »

  Parashas Beshalach includes the promise, given by Hashem to the Children of Israel, that they will not suffer the ailments of Egypt: “If you will give earnest heed to… Read more »

  In Hashem’s warning of the final plague, Makkas Bechoros, the Pesukim describe what will come about: “And Moshe said: Thus says Hashem: About midnight I will go out into… Read more »

  As part of the back-and-forth between Hashem and Moshe, when Hashem wished to appoint Moshe to be the leader who will redeem the Children of Israel from Egypt, Moshe… Read more »

  In the Berachos that Yaakov Avinu bestows upon his children, we find the words of the verse: “The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah, nor the lawmaker from between… Read more »

  “Yosef said to his brothers: I am Yosef! Is my Father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were greatly alarmed at his presence.” In… Read more »

  The firstborn of Yaakov Avinu was Reuven. Yet, the de jure firstborn, the child who inherited a double portion from Yaakov, was Yosef, whose two sons both founded tribes… Read more »

  When he reached Shechem, the Pasuk tells us that Yaakov bought the land where he erected his tent for one hundred kesita (Bereishis 33:19). In the book of Yehoshua,… Read more »

  Acting behind the scenes throughout the dramatic episode of Parshas Toldos, Rivka is perhaps the first biblical example of an informant. The report of Yitzchak’s blessings opens with Rivka… Read more »

  The story of how Eliezer found a bride for Yitzchak, occupies a large section of the parsha of Chayei Sarah. The primary theme of the passage is the concept… Read more »

  The Mishnah (Avos 5:10) makes the following statement: “There are four dispositions among men. […] One who says, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is yours”—this is an… Read more »

In Parashas Vayeira we learn of the birth of Yishmael to Avraham Avinu. In the present article we will discuss a particular halachah that relates to non-Jews in general, and… Read more »

  Parshas Lech Lecha presents the first mitzvah that was given specifically to the Jewish People, beginning with Avraham Avinu and continuing today. The deep significance of the bris milah… Read more »

  The Torah writes that the flood was visited upon the generation of Noah because of the people’s wickedness. The verse singles out the crime of hamas as the iniquity… Read more »

      Our parsha tells of the Tower built by the inhabitants of Bovel, in an attempt to storm the Heavens. The reason they stopped building the Tower is… Read more »

As we approach Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance, we are confronted by the task of Teshuvah – repenting our misdeeds and bettering our ways in the future…. Read more »

  In this installment on the laws of paying workers on time, we address a number of important halachos pertaining to the payment of employees. These relate on the one… Read more »

  As we saw last week, the Torah is very concerned that workers should be paid on time. Two mitzvos, one positive (beyomo titen secharo) and one negative (lo talin),… Read more »

  The Pasuk (Devarim 16:19) teaches us: “Bribery makes blind the wise and upsets the pleas of the just.” For this reason, the Torah states that it is forbidden to… Read more »

  As the month that builds up to the High Holy Days—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—the month of Elul has special significance in terms of mending our ways, repenting our… Read more »

  Parashas Eikev includes the instruction of birkas hamazon: “You shall eat, and you shall be satiated, and you shall bless Hashem, your G-d, for the good Land that He… Read more »

  In Parashas Vaeschanan, the Torah teaches us the mitzvah of Kriyas Shema, of which the pasuk writes: vedibarta bom, you shall speak them. Chazal derive from the word bom… Read more »

  This year, as every few years, Tisha Be’Av falls on Shabbos. In this case, halachah dictates that the fast of the Ninth of Av is postponed to Sunday, in… Read more »

  Continuing our series on truth and falsehood, we dedicate the current article to the question of deviating from the truth to avoid loss. As we have already discussed at… Read more »

  In the last article on the subject of truth and falsehood, we saw that it is permitted to deviate from the truth for Shalom—for the sake of peace and… Read more »

  Parashas Shelach brings us the tragic tale of the meraglim, the spies that Moshe sent to scout the Land of Canaan in advance of the planned entry of the… Read more »

A halachic question that has been asked countless times over the generations, and which is still widely discussed today, is whether Kohanim are permitted to visit the graves of the… Read more »

Towards the upcoming festival of Shavuos, on which we received (and continue to receive annually) the Torah, we dedicate this article to the mitzvah of Torah study. As we will… Read more »

One of the fundamental questions relating to returning lost property is whether the item is actually lost or not. Of course, a lost item (an aveida) needs to be returned,… Read more »

Of all the mitzvos of the day of Purim, the mitzvah that perhaps occupies us the most is the mitzvah of se’udaspurim, the Purim feast. This is not to say that this is necessarily the… Read more »

As the month of Adar has arrived, we address this week the famous statement of Chazal: “When Adar enters, we increase [our] joy” (Taanis 29a). The teaching of our Sages… Read more »

  Parashas Pekudei involves a detailed inventory of the materials collected for building the Mishkan, and explains what was done with them: “These are the records of the Mishkan, the… Read more »

  This week we read Parashas Shekalim, which begins the order of special Shabbos Parshios leading up to Pesach. Aside from the spiritual elevation, for many of us this time… Read more »

  Parashas Ki Tisa opens with the instruction to take a national census, providing us with the primary source for a prohibition against counting directly. Moshe Rabbeinu is told to… Read more »

  Parashas Tetzaveh informs us of the special status of the priests—Kohanim. As part of the instructions to construct the Mishkan, Moshe is told by Hashem to, “single out Aharon,… Read more »

  Parashas Terumah introduces the Mishkan and discusses its construction. As the Ramban explains, the fundamental purpose of the Mishkan, and later of the Mikdash in the Land of Israel,… Read more »

  Parashas Mishpatim includes the basic classification of those disqualified from bearing testimony: “Do not join your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” (Shemos 23:1). Chazal interpret… Read more »

  One of the Aseres HaDibros, the Ten Commandments, which we read in Parashas Yisro, refers to “taking the name of Hashem in vain” (Shemos 20:7). The prohibition refers to… Read more »